Unit Plan 24 (Grade 4 ELA): Narrative Pacing, Transitions, and Closure

Focus: Event sequencing, sensory detail, pacing, strong endings

Grade Level: 4

Subject Area: English Language Arts (Writing)

Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 45–60 minutes per session

I. Introduction

This week turns writers into story directors—controlling sequence, pacing, and detail so readers live inside the moment and then land on a satisfying ending. Students will orient the reader with a clear setup, use temporal transitions and scene/summary balance to pace events, add concrete sensory details, and craft strong closures that reflect on the experience. By Friday, each writer will produce a one-page narrative with purposeful pacing and an ending that feels earned.

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to…

1. Orient the reader (who/where/when), introduce narrator/characters, and organize a natural sequence of events (W.4.3a).
2. Develop experiences using dialogue, description, and pacing (zoom-in/zoom-out, paragraph breaks, sentence variety) (W.4.3b).
3. Use temporal and linking transitions to guide the reader through time and cause/effect (W.4.3c).
4. Choose concrete words and sensory details to convey experiences precisely (W.4.3d).
5. Provide a conclusion that follows from the narrative and shows reflection or change (W.4.3e).
6. Plan, revise, and edit writing with checklists and peer feedback (W.4.5) and write routinely across the week (W.4.10).

Standards Alignment — CCSS Grade 4

• W.4.3a–e, W.4.5, W.4.10

Success Criteria — student language

• My beginning orients readers (who/where/when) and hints at the problem.
• My events are in a logical order with clear time transitions.
• I slow down the most important moment and speed up small stuff.
• My details help readers see/hear/feel the scene.
• My ending fits the story and shows what I learned or how I changed.